The invention concerns an outlet valve system for a collection bag for urine from urine-incontinent or urostomy operated humans. The valve system comprises a base member which is secured to the collection bag and a movable member which is sealingly fitted to the base member; the base member has an open conduit leading into the cavity of the collection bag and conducting liquid to the movable member. The movable member has a discharge tube which is rotatably displaceable with respect to the base member and which is rotated out of the plane defined by the outer surface of the collection bag. The movable member has at least one open position and at least one secured closed position where the discharge tube is pointing upwards.
Collection bags for urine are well known and typically consists of plastic sheets which are joined by welding along their peripheries to form a cavity between the sheets in which the urine is collected. When out of bed the user normally carry the bag by the lower part of the leg and in order to discharge urine from the bag, the bag is supplied with an outlet valve system at its lowermost part.
When the bag is full it is possible for the user to empty the bag and reuse it. Discharge of urine from the valve system takes place through a tube or hose member having a discharge opening which forms part of the valve system. At least a few drops of urine will always be left in the discharge tube or hose member, and in order to prevent malodours from such drops it is necessary to prevent these drops from getting in contact with the users clothes or body. To prevent this the drops can either be removed or the opening of the discharge hose can be plugged or placed in an upright position. An advantage of placing the discharge tube in an upright position when closed is that the bag including the valve system is shorter and nothing sticks out of the trouser leg.
In WO 93/17642 is a valve system for a urine collection bag demonstrated. This valve system has a base member (10) being secured to the bag and a movable means (20). The movable means is formed by a discharge tube member having an inlet section (21), a tube section (22) and a discharge opening (23). The inlet section (21) is sealingly engaged around a cylindrical portion (12) of the base member and the movable means are able to rotate around this cylindrical portion (12). The cylindrical portion (12) of the base member is hollow and supplied with a hole (14) through which liquid can pass into the movable means (20). The movable means can rotate between two positions (FIGS. 4 and 5); in the first position (FIG. 5) the movable means has been rotated to a position in which the tube section (22) is arranged concentric opposite the hole (14) in the cylindrical portion (12) of the base part which allows urine to pass from the bag out through the valve system; in the second position (FIG. 4) the movable means has been rotated to a position in which the walls of the inlet section (21) totally covers the hole (14) and no urine can pass through the valve system.
When this valve is open and urine flowing out of the discharge opening the user need to direct the flow away from the vertical plane in order to avoid the flow of urine getting in contact with the footwear. This operation of reaching to the feet can be very difficult for users who are placed in a wheel chair such as paraplegics or for other users with low motility.
The valve in this document also has to be placed on a relatively flat part of the bag in order to be able to rotate the tube section easily and this will increase the length of the construction of the bag and valve system.
Another valve system is known from British Patent Application no. 2 285 496. The valve described in this document is opened and closed by relative rotation of its inlet and outlet pipes (12,18) about an axis perpendicular to their longitudinal axes. The inlet and outlet pipes (12,18) project from housing parts (14,16). One housing part has a barrel fitting inside the other housing part. The valve is open when the inlet pipe (12) is upright and the outlet pipe (18) points downward as the housing parts each have an aperture that are in alignment when the pipes are aligned this way (FIG. 1). When the pipes both face the same direction the valve is closed. The outlet pipe (18) according to this invention can be rotated at least 180xc2x0 relative to the inlet pipe (12).
Also with this valve care has to be taken in guiding the discharge from the outlet pipe away from the users leg and shoe when the bag is emptied.
In the valve system according to this invention the discharge tube is rotated to an open position situated between more than 90xc2x0 and less than 180xc2x0 from upright vertical and here the discharge tube is secured.
With the discharge tube in this open position it is not necessary for the user to hold the discharge tube while the outflow is directed away from the users leg. Also the bag and valve system will be as short as possible with the discharge tube in the upward closed position.
The construction of this valve system is simple and the system is easy to use even for elderly or disabled users with limited motility and strength as the movements of the discharge tube is firmly guided and leaves the user little possibility to accidentally leave or push the tube into the open position.
In a preferred embodiment of the valve system the discharge tube has at least three secured positions. The first is the upward closed position, the second is a downward closed position and the third is a downward open position. This embodiment increases the users control of when to drain urine from the bag and when to keep it closed.